Earlier today we’ve seen a dizzying amount of updates rolling out for a variety of Windows Phone devices around the globe. It started with the Lumia 920 beginning to roll out GDR2 for our friends down under on Telstra. We then pieced together this wasn’t going to be an isolated occurrence once reports of more Lumia 920s around the globe began seeing the update. Then Verizon and T-Mobile joined the action and started pumping out updates for the Lumia 928, the Lumia 521, and the Lumia 810.

It’s been dizzying to keep up, but what about our friends running devices like the Lumia 620, 720, and 820? When do you get your update?

Over at the Nokia Conversations blog they’ve informed the world that the GDR2/Amber updates for Lumia devices indeed is beginning a large rollout. The rollout is starting for the Lumia 920 and 820 in selected countries. But they expect the update to reach your Lumia before the end of the September.

That means if you didn’t see a post from us earlier today about a device you haven’t been forgotten just yet when it comes to GDR2/Amber. Although it certainly would appear that the priority is to get the update to devices with a larger install base first.

Nokia’s set up a support page where you can view your region and see the status of the rollout. For example, Nokia Lumia 920 users on AT&T here in the United States are currently listed as “waiting for approval”.

Reader comments

For a phone that is described as the most popular windows 8 handset, not much recognition is given to the Nokia Lumia 520 by this article's author who speaks of the 620 and upwards! By the same token, I think that Microsoft should begin with or at least give higher priority to making the amber update available for its most popular handset, the Lumia 520.

Just updated my Lumia 521 for T-Mobile and although the update made thigns faster and brought some cool features like call blocking the phone is practically useless now. It dies in like 4 hours no matter if i use or if its in idle it dies within like 6 hours or so. I already have charged the phone twice already and its on the third time. I know the battery cycle needs to get used to it but damn i never expected it to be this bad!

Got the update on my 810 I wish Nokia would fix the stupid volume defaulting to low everytime I turn on the phone. I keep missing calls because I cannot here the phone ring if I dont remember to turn it up when I power it up. My wife got so annoyed by it that she went to the Htc. she power it on and put it in her purse and she can never here it ring because it defauld to 13. Why nokia think everyone want there volume so low is beyond me. I work in a noisy place and if the phone is not loul i wont here it .

They start the update in phases. Seem, the desire to roll out Amber update for all countries without deciding what country the first never come. What customer wants the first country is all country, not need to be waiting approval, just enter "yes" for all.

I have the Amber on my 521 I don't see the FM radio but Data Sense (Which I don't need I have unlimited) is there. I don't know what else the 521 is slated to get in this update?
lol, I found the FM Radio

Guess the roll out is going to be slower than I thought. Looking at the support page, 90% are in awaiting approval. Nokia just needs to man handle this and do their own testing. How is Apple able to just bypass carriers, but everyone else has to go through them? Kinda lame.

Downloaded onto my Lumia 521 and 13% into the installation process. Better then my last experience with T-Mobile with Windows 7.8 on my Lumia 710 (subsequently sold on eBay). Let's hope they continue to support their products this time around.

Update finished, got datasense but that about it. No glance. No radio. Cant use Smart or Pro cam..firmware version doesn't match what it says on support site as being available...disappointed. VodaUKNL920. Anyone else seeing similar ??

I would think Coming Soon would mean more like it's coming close to the end of finishing the coding/Nokia's own beta-testing. And awaiting approval is where the package is complete and it's ready for everyone already just the carriers are now the ones to finally release the finished product

My Lumia 810 is getting a huge update right now. Had to uninstall to get the 500M storage space to download and install. Very slow on the corp network, but it is progressing. C'mon T-Mob, push! I think this update needs to attend LaMaze classes

I would say Coming soon. Because Nokia's plans were to release them in bunches to make it go smoothly, and currently like 90% of them are waiting for approval and 5% coming soon and rest available. It wouldn't make sense if they are releasing in bunches but 90% of them comes in matter of time.

I don't think the priority is to get it to the largest install base. If it was than the 822 would already be seeing an update. Every thing I've read points to it outselling the 920, 928, 820, etc. here in the U.S.

Like most people in the US, you appear to have forgotten that the US isnt the only country in the world. The 822 is only sold in the US, the other models you mention are worldwide apart from the 928, and hence have a much larger install base considering the US isnt that big a market for WP.

I believe that even though it's unlocked updates are tied to a region. My 820 is unlocked but the availability of my past updates appear to be in sync with the schedule for far east phones/ Hong Kong. My phone registered as a being from a Hong Kong operator/ manufacturer.

What a joke, I first heard this to be rolling out mid July, now its mid September. So slow its unbelievable, they what to compete with android + apple then windows/nokia gotta pull the finger out. Woeful.

IOS is ALWAYS a special case. First party updates from the OEM. Try owning an HTC android phone, good luck ever getting the important rev updates. Is an update on your phone really worth this much anxiety?

While I am no fan of Rogers, they are much better than the others when it comes to WP. Telus has been a disappointment (with WP, not service, I have a decent plan and always seem to have good service).

Yeah, I think that goes across the board for all Canadian carriers. Blackberry has all the carriers in their pockets since they're a Canadian company. Which sucks because in the end the consumer doesn't get that many choices for a phone as down south.

So, which one is closer to release? Waiting for approval or Coming soon?

Is it that "Coming soon" means it's just matter of moments and "Waiting for approval" taking some more time. Or is it that Waiting for approval is coming as soon as someone presses a button and coming soon means it's coming in some days. Confusing times :P

Well I started thinking more about it, isn't Nokia's plan that they release the updates in bunches so that others get it first and then they move on to make it go smoothly. So if there's like 95% of "Waiting for approval" and rest 5% "Coming soon" I'd take it Coming soon is closer?

I would say Coming Soon is closer than Waiting for Approval. Assuming that the software is finished for all devices then the only things we are waiting on are A) approval, and B) rollout, and Approval comes first in that timeline, with Coming Soon likely being waiting for the rollout.

Funny how you're both ragging on them when they were the FIRST to get GDR1. If you don't get the preferential treatment from them every time, they're suddenly awful? People are WAY too fickle and impatient.

ATT probably has the biggest stake with your best interest in mind, otherwise they would have opened the floodgates already... Better yet, not even have floodgates. How quickly we forget that the last update broke 4g for people. This is them probably being cautious and testing since they probably have the biggest Lumia WP8 user base.